Police Beat and Community Briefs for Aug. 27, 2009

Published: Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 11:32 p.m.

OCALA - Ocala Police Department officials are looking for a man who robbed the Walgreens at 3500 S.E. Maricamp Road early Wednesday morning.

According to officials, at approximately 2:16 a.m. the man showed a large knife and demanded money from clerks. He obtained an unspecified amount of money and fled south from the store on foot.

The suspect is described as a white male with sandy hair and was last seen wearing a long-sleeved, dark T-shirt, dark pants and a ball cap.

Anyone with any information about the crime is encouraged to contact the Ocala Police Department at 369-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP.

LOCAL

Tax prep course offered for seniors

OCALA - Pathways Life Services at Central Florida Community College will offer a Tax Preparer course for seniors 50 and older from 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Sept. 2 through Nov. 25, in the Ewers Century Center, 3001 S.W. College Road. Fee of $199 includes textbook and workbook.

The 72-hour course includes training on computer tax programs and the Internal Revenue Service's e-file program.

For more information, call Bebe Rahaman at 873-5804 or visit www.CF.edu.

Frontier history program offered

OCALA - Robert Wilson will present a program titled "The Life of a Trapper/Trader on the Florida Frontier: 1780-1835" from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 10, at Silver River State Park, 1425 N.E. 58th Ave., Ocala. The museum also will hold an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Free, but reservations are required. For more information, call 236-5401 or visit www.SilverRiverMuseum.com.

Salvation Army in need of donations

OCALA - The Salvation Army is in need of canned meats such as beef stew, corned beef, chicken and dumplings, tuna, etc. for its food pantry. Also, twin size sheet sets are needed for beds in the shelter. Donations can be made at the Homeless Resource Center, 320 N.W. First Ave. For more information, call 732-8326.

OCALA - United Way's Dance Marathon will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Marion Technical Institute, 1614 S.E. Fort King St. The is a fundraising effort where hundreds of volunteers dance for 12 hours to show support for United Way and the community.

Registration before Sept. 1 is $15 per person; $25 thereafter. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.uwmc.org or be picked up at United Way, 1401 N.E. Second St. For more information, call Summer Gill at 732-9696 or e-mail sgill@uwmc.org.

Stearns secures grant for CFCC

OCALA - Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, requested funding for Central Florida Community College for curriculum development resulting in a grant of $238,000 from the U.S. Department of Education, according to a news release from his office.

The grant covers the two-year period from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2011.

The release states: "This new program will include the first four-year degrees awarded by CFCC, including a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management with specializations in Agribusiness Management, Management Information Systems and Public Safety Administration and Health Care Management. In addition, the program will include a Bachelor of Science in Education Studies with a specialization in Early Childhood Education."

STATE

Swine flu has claimed 66 in Fla.

TALLAHASSEE - State health officials say 66 people have died from swine flu in Florida.

The Florida Department of Health released an updated H1N1 death toll Wednesday.

Federal health officials have sent testing supplies to the state's four labs, allowing state technicians to test samples without the additional step of sending them to the Centers for Disease Control.

Health officials are urging Floridians to seek medical help if they feel sick, to wash hands frequently, practice good hygiene and to stay home if they feel ill.

Man who brought nail gun in bar shot

JACKSONVILLE - Authorities say a bartender fatally shot a 20-year-old man when he walked into the north Florida pub waving a nail driver that resembled a firearm.

Authorites say the bartender repeatedly shot John L. Lee when he entered the Shantytown Pub dressed in black clothing and waving the nailer. The bartender thought that the pub was being robbed. His name hasn't been released.

Lee was pronounced dead at a Jacksonville hospital.

Detective faces fraud charges

MIAMI - A veteran Miami police detective has been charged with defrauding the city's Crime Stoppers program in which people get cash rewards for providing tips.

<p class="bold allcaps">POLICE BEAT</p>
<p><b>Police look for man who robbed store</b></p><p>OCALA - Ocala Police Department officials are looking for a man who robbed the Walgreens at 3500 S.E. Maricamp Road early Wednesday morning.</p><p>According to officials, at approximately 2:16 a.m. the man showed a large knife and demanded money from clerks. He obtained an unspecified amount of money and fled south from the store on foot.</p><p>The suspect is described as a white male with sandy hair and was last seen wearing a long-sleeved, dark T-shirt, dark pants and a ball cap.</p><p>Anyone with any information about the crime is encouraged to contact the Ocala Police Department at 369-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP.</p><h3>LOCAL</h3>
<p><b>Tax prep course offered for seniors</b></p><p>OCALA - Pathways Life Services at Central Florida Community College will offer a Tax Preparer course for seniors 50 and older from 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Sept. 2 through Nov. 25, in the Ewers Century Center, 3001 S.W. College Road. Fee of $199 includes textbook and workbook.</p><p>The 72-hour course includes training on computer tax programs and the Internal Revenue Service's e-file program.</p><p>For more information, call Bebe Rahaman at 873-5804 or visit www.CF.edu.</p><p><b>Frontier history program offered</b></p><p>OCALA - Robert Wilson will present a program titled "The Life of a Trapper/Trader on the Florida Frontier: 1780-1835" from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 10, at Silver River State Park, 1425 N.E. 58th Ave., Ocala. The museum also will hold an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Free, but reservations are required. For more information, call 236-5401 or visit www.SilverRiverMuseum.com.</p><p><b>Salvation Army in need of donations</b></p><p>OCALA - The Salvation Army is in need of canned meats such as beef stew, corned beef, chicken and dumplings, tuna, etc. for its food pantry. Also, twin size sheet sets are needed for beds in the shelter. Donations can be made at the Homeless Resource Center, 320 N.W. First Ave. For more information, call 732-8326.</p><p><b>Registration now for Jeeptoberfest</b></p><p>OCALA - The Ocala Jeep Club hosts the 12th annual Jeeptoberfest from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and 8: 30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at the Ocala Speedway, 9050 N.W. Gainesville Road, Ocala. To register a Jeep, cost is $15 before Oct. 1 or $20 at the gate. First 40 registrants receive T-shirt and goodie bag. For more information, visit www.ocalajeepclub.com.</p><p><b>United Way Dance Marathon planned</b></p><p>OCALA - United Way's Dance Marathon will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Marion Technical Institute, 1614 S.E. Fort King St. The is a fundraising effort where hundreds of volunteers dance for 12 hours to show support for United Way and the community.</p><p>Registration before Sept. 1 is $15 per person; $25 thereafter. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.uwmc.org or be picked up at United Way, 1401 N.E. Second St. For more information, call Summer Gill at 732-9696 or e-mail sgill@uwmc.org.</p><p><b>Stearns secures grant for CFCC</b></p><p>OCALA - Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, requested funding for Central Florida Community College for curriculum development resulting in a grant of $238,000 from the U.S. Department of Education, according to a news release from his office.</p><p>The grant covers the two-year period from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2011.</p><p>The release states: "This new program will include the first four-year degrees awarded by CFCC, including a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management with specializations in Agribusiness Management, Management Information Systems and Public Safety Administration and Health Care Management. In addition, the program will include a Bachelor of Science in Education Studies with a specialization in Early Childhood Education."</p><h3>STATE</h3>
<p><b>Swine flu has claimed 66 in Fla.</b></p><p>TALLAHASSEE - State health officials say 66 people have died from swine flu in Florida.</p><p>The Florida Department of Health released an updated H1N1 death toll Wednesday.</p><p>Federal health officials have sent testing supplies to the state's four labs, allowing state technicians to test samples without the additional step of sending them to the Centers for Disease Control.</p><p>Health officials are urging Floridians to seek medical help if they feel sick, to wash hands frequently, practice good hygiene and to stay home if they feel ill.</p><p><b>Man who brought nail gun in bar shot</b></p><p>JACKSONVILLE - Authorities say a bartender fatally shot a 20-year-old man when he walked into the north Florida pub waving a nail driver that resembled a firearm.</p><p>Authorites say the bartender repeatedly shot John L. Lee when he entered the Shantytown Pub dressed in black clothing and waving the nailer. The bartender thought that the pub was being robbed. His name hasn't been released.</p><p>Lee was pronounced dead at a Jacksonville hospital.</p><p><b>Detective faces fraud charges</b></p><p>MIAMI - A veteran Miami police detective has been charged with defrauding the city's Crime Stoppers program in which people get cash rewards for providing tips.</p><p>A federal complaint filed Wednesday charges 11-year veteran Detective Wayne Fortella with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.</p><p>Fortella is free on $100,000 bail and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on each count.</p><p>Prosecutors say Fortella was assigned to the Crime Stoppers unit. He would allegedly identify cases in which rewards had not been paid and provide key information to two civilian accomplices.</p><p>The two accomplices then used the information to collect about $14,000 in rewards.</p>